Decision makers

Bring back the mental health inpatient survey

The latest Broadmoor scandal shows how important it is for us to protect vulnerable people on mental health wards. Yet Government has cut the only survey that checks how safe people feel in mental health hospitals. All of us know someone with a mental illness-we need to know our relatives and friends' safety is taken seriously.

29 year old John* from Plymouth explains why his traumatic experiences in hospital mean he is supporting the No Silence campaign:

"When I was 18, I was hospitalised for mental illness. It should have been a therapeutic environment for me – but instead I endured experiences that left me feeling like I was being punished for my mental illness.

Being forcibly injected with medication was particularly traumatic. The nurses weren’t properly trained – they didn’t know how to restrain someone without physically hurting them. I was pinned down, face to the floor, my hands held behind my back.

It dredged up memories of a childhood trauma when I’d been treated in the same way, which really made the situation even more terrifying for me. It made my mental illness even worse and left me feeling very institutionalised.

I certainly didn’t feel safe in hospital – experiences like mine must be heard and acted upon, not swept under the carpet. That’s why I’m backing the No Silence campaign."

Please sign up to this petition right now and urge the Health Secretary to reintroduce the inpatient survey for mental health patients – without these important checks many more cases like John’s will go on unmonitored.

*John's name has been changed to protect his identity.

This petition was delivered to:

Secretary of State for HealthJeremy Hunt

Letter to

Secretary of State for HealthJeremy Hunt

Bring back the mental health inpatient survey

The latest Broadmoor scandal shows how important it is for us to protect vulnerable people on mental health wards. Yet Government has cut the only survey that checks how safe people feel in mental health hospitals. All of us know someone with a mental illness-we need to know our relatives and friends' safety is taken seriously.

Please commit now to bring back the mental health inpatient survey run by Care Quality Commission. And to take the results seriously. The last survey in 2009 found that less than half of patients in mental health units felt safe all of the time. This is a national scandal. People getting treatment on physical health wards are asked their views-the safety and dignity of people getting mental health treatment is equally important.

The NHS Mandate calls for parity between physical and mental health. As Secretary of State for Health, you have a chance to show your commitment to this important principle and the 1 in 4 UK citizens who experience mental illness at some point in their lives. Please make a public commitment to bring back the mental health inpatient survey immediately.